Star Players Shaheen, Babar, and Rizwan Dropped from T20I Squad
Pakistan’s selection panel has decided to leave out three of its most prominent cricketers—Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan—from the upcoming T20I squads.
Reports suggest that the teams are being prepared for Pakistan’s forthcoming overseas tour, which features a three-match T20I series against Bangladesh in July. While the official schedule is yet to be released, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has shared a tentative itinerary with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Despite Shaheen Afridi’s strong showing in the recent Pakistan Super League (PSL), insider sources reveal that behavioral concerns played a major role in his exclusion.
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, both former captains, have been out of the T20I lineup for a while. Their last appearance in this format was during the 2024 T20I series against South Africa.
The revamped squad, which includes several new players, is set to compete against Bangladesh next month before heading to the USA for an important limited-overs series against the West Indies.
The finalized squad was decided during a high-profile meeting of the national selection committee. Attendees included head coach Mike Hesson, T20I skipper Agha Salman, selectors Aaqib Javed and Aleem Dar, as well as newly appointed members Sarfaraz Ahmed and Sikandar Bakht.
In other developments, former Test players Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq have been replaced in the selection committee. According to credible PCB sources, ex-captain Sarfaraz Ahmed and former Test cricketer-turned-analyst Sikandar Bakht have been added to the restructured panel.